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Human
Development
Foundation |
Annual Prize Distribution for HDF
Karachi Katchi Abadi Schools
March 18, 2006
By Shahnaz Khan
 HDF
has been working in Karachi Katchi
Abadi, Malir since 2001. Currently
HDF project is in Goth Adam Hangoro,
Muslim Abad and Bilal Colony. The
HDF education program started with
a one room school and a handful of
children and has now grown into 5
schools and 650 children. In the beginning
a room was donated by a member of
the community for the school. But
the community responded so well that
soon enough this arrangement was not
enough to handle all the interest.
One important part of HDF projects
is “social mobilization”
where community members are organized
and trained to solve their own problems.
So the parents got together, discussed
the school space problem and decided
that the education of their children
was important enough to find a long-term
solution. So they decided to rent
the school buildings. They also decided
to raise the fee structure to pay
for the rent. HDF takes care of the
teachers’ training, salary,
oversight, monitoring, guidance and
school materials. This really proves
the point that people have the capability
of solving their own problems given
enough resources and relevant skills.
 In
2005 Elgin Rotary club gave a grant
of $10,000 which was used to buy furniture
for these schools. Children, who were
high risk for joining the illiterate
millions in Pakistan, now have the
opportunity to get educated in a child
friendly environment.
I was lucky enough to happen to be
in Pakistan on March 18, 2006. This
was the annual prize distribution
day at the culmination of the 2005-06
academic year and Shahzad Qureshy,
the Karachi team leader for HDF and
Shazia Nasreen, the education coordinator
were kind enough to extend the invitation
to me to attend. Shabbir Burhani,
a general member of HDF and a local
member of Karachi Rotary club was
invited as the chief guest. He has
been instrumental in coordinating
the grant from Elgin Rotary club.
 Shabbir
and I went to the project site together.
The place was bustling with activity.
Children were all dressed neatly in
their uniforms, their faces beaming
with excitement, teachers were busy
getting the children in lines and
the HDF staff was making sure all
the logistics were taken care of.
The program was conducted under a
large “shamiana.”
It was a nice surprise and a pleasure
to see children come on stage in a
very orderly manner and perform skits,
sing songs/hamd, dance, read poems
and then receive the prizes for their
academic achievements. There are five
HDF Child Friendly Schools in Karachi
by the following names (the community
members choose the school names):
 Falak
Kiran
Mashal
Ujala
Bright Future
A total of 624 children participated.
I am happy to share the pictures with
everyone.
This is more than just an example
of how HDF is changing lives in Pakistan.
It is a lesson for all of us that
people, given the opportunities, will
make things better starting from a
grass-roots level. Please join us
in continuing the progress this movement
has made.
Date/Time Last Modified: 4/12/2006 4:24:36 AM
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